Metropolitan King County Council 516 Third Ave., Rm. 1200 Seattle, WA 98104 Phone: 206-296-1000 Toll Free: 800-325-6165 TTY/TDD: 206-296-1024 Fax: 206-296-0198 council@kingcounty.gov
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Oct. 20, 2008 Audit recommends improvements in King County code enforcement to improve relations with property owners Report says DDES still needs to improve accountability and transparency The King County Department of Development and Environmental Services (DDES) has made improvements in its code enforcement section, but a report presented today by the King County Auditor says the agency can still take steps to improve its relationship with King County property owners.
The Council’s Committee of the Whole received the report from Auditor Cheryle Broom, whom the Council directed to conduct a performance audit evaluating the consistency, transparency, and accountability of the Code Enforcement Section of DDES. The agency enforces King County Code related to zoning, building, shorelines, site development, and critical areas in unincorporated King County.
“This audit validates many of the ongoing concerns that residents of the unincorporated area have shared with me about inconsistency in dealing with and communicating about compliance actions,” said Metropolitan King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, who represents Northeast King County. “We need to make sure that the recommendations from the 1990, 1995 and 2008 audits will be implemented soon. We expect our code enforcement office to provide the best customer service that helps citizens to understand and comply with the law, rather than just punishing or fining them.”
Among the audit’s recommendations:
• Improve the consistency and openness of Code Enforcement’s practices by increasing the Section’s communication efforts about its policies and procedures, including the development of educational materials about the Code Enforcement process,
• Improve the accountability and strengthen the department’s oversight of Code Enforcement,
• Improve the Section’s records management and performance reporting practices, and
• Develop a strategic plan that articulates the priorities of Code Enforcement and enables the Section to monitor its success in meeting its goals.
The auditor also identified areas in which the Code Enforcement Section recently made changes to improve performance, including its recent launch of the “Community-Oriented Code Enforcement” program to foster relationships and improve communication with citizens. The agency also assigned two Code Enforcement officers to focus on reducing its case backlog.
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